Nightfall
by Jetstream Girge
Summary: The night Rena wishes never fell. This night is the one out of countless others that changed her long, long life forever. An Elrios entry. Blood advisory.
1. Chapter 1

**Hey all! This is crazy! I made two uploads in less than a week! Well, the only reason this happened is because I had this mostly written already. And I noticed very quickly that it would be too long for a single chapter to cover, so I broke it up. The second chapter will come by next weekend or sooner.**

 **Anyways, welcome to Nightfall! This is a story I originally had planned for Halloween, but it ended up getting backlogged by real life. I highly suggest reading Alstroemeria and A Bright Bond before diving into this story, as the aforementioned stories set up some of the background for this tale. I also recommend looking at Rena's side story in-game.** **As a disclaimer, this is NOT canon, but as close to canon as it probably can be without it simply being a retelling. Enjoy!**

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Rena stared into the evening sky from the brush just outside the village, watching the last rays of Solace fade away before the coming night. The spirits around her shivered as a chilling breeze swept through the forest and it carried the sound of their whimpering to her ears.

She reached out to the nearest one and cradled it gently in her hands. "It's alright, _eolin-i._ We'll get to the bottom of this soon." She smiled reassuringly at the tiny sprite, which looked up to her with frightened eyes and looked like it wanted to say something

"You know…" But its chance passed due to the arrival of another elf. "Branwen's gonna be pretty upset that we're sneaking out at this time of year." Rena turned to the newcomer with a smile.

"Right on time, Lua. And Branwen's not going to be upset, because she'll never know," Rena countered, still holding the spirit in her hands. Lua smiled at the tiny spirit before turning her gaze back to her friend.

"Rena, I know you're worried, but there's a reason Branwen doesn't want anyone to leave the village at night. Every now and then-"

"Some of our people go missing. I know, but…" Rena interrupted, finally releasing the spirit which floated away to join its companions around the elf. "It's also around this time these children feel so… afraid." She looked to the spirits around her worriedly, not noticing the slight look of contempt from Lua.

But it came and went in the blink of an eye as Lua settled her expression into one of concern. "You've said that before. Did you ask them why they're so scared?"

Rena nodded and her expression fell slightly. "I have, year after year, night after night, but they won't show me what's wrong. And that scares me. What could be out there that terrifies them enough to not even speak of it?"

Lua narrowed her eyes at her friend. While she admired her friend's empathy towards everything she came across, there was a part of her that resented that trait. But this resentment quickly gave way to self-reprimanding. They were elves; negativity flows through them only to be washed away in the current of time. They could not hold onto such things like hatred, fury and jealousy.

She had to get her mind off these dark thoughts. "Maybe it's the _suchwiin_ ," she said, adding a spooky effect to her voice when she said the name.

Rena shivered. "Lua, you know I hate it when you say it like that!"

The other elf laughed. "Come on, Rena. The _suchwiin_ are just a myth to scare the _eolin geosdeul_. We're not kids anymore. They aren't real."

Rena pouted at her friend. "It's not the word so much as _how_ you say it! It's so creepy," she protested.

Lua laughed again. "You mean like this? _Suchw-"_

"Lua!"

"Okay okay! Let's get going before it gets any later and someone notices we're missing." Lua held up her hands and changed the topic before their argument would attract attention. They were only just outside the village border after all.

Rena's mood instantly turned serious. "Right. Let's see if we can't find whatever is frightening these children. Let's go." She picked up her bow and started to walk deeper into the forest. Lua followed quietly behind her.

Night had just fallen and Ebalon illuminated the way. But there was an eerie feeling of dread accompanying the wind as it blew through the branches. The spirits following the two elves shivered at its chilling caress. Rena reached out to them and held them close to her chest and spoke some quiet words of comfort as Lua looked on.

She knew that she couldn't hope for Rena's gift, but she always felt a pang of envy whenever she saw her friend laughing with the little children. They'd never do that with anyone else but her and Branwen. Lua didn't feel jealous of their elder; Branwen had centuries, perhaps even a millennia, of experience to complement her ability to commune with the spirits, granting her more respect than envy.

Rena, on the other hand, had no such history. In place of experience and wisdom she possessed insatiable curiosity, childish naivete and reckless drive. And yet praise was heaped upon her simply because she had a gift that was revered by their people.

The elven ranger set her jaw and turned her gaze away from her friend. She had to focus. They were looking for some kind of inexplicable horror that terrified the spirits into silence. Who knows what it could be.

It could be a corrupted spirit from the demon realm. It could be a territorial ent. It could be-

The wet sound of flesh being torn apart interrupted her thoughts. "Rena," she called ahead of her.

Rena's ears tilted up and she released the spirit in her arms. "I hear it. It's just past those trees…"

The two elves crouched low to the ground and quietly advanced. Each of them nocked an arrow onto their bows and leaned up against the trees in question.

With a silent nod from Lua the duo spun around the trees in perfect unison and drew the arrows to their cheeks.

What they beheld drained the color from their faces; Blood and tufts of feathers were scattered on the surrounding leaves, and just a short distance away were two creatures. One was an adult ruchi, but its chest was split open by the claws of the other animal.

The aggressor was a phoru covered in its victim's blood, and it was carving more bloody gashes in the corpse. It's ears twitched at the sound of the elves coming around the tree. It slowly turned to face them, and Rena sucked in a breath. Apart from the blood splattered across itself, there were what appeared to be talon and beak marks all over it. And they did not look like injuries sustained from an act of self-defense, but from an act of aggression.

But the most terrifying feature the two elves saw was how it looked at them; its face contorted in terror and it bared its teeth menacingly, a sign for them to come no closer. It took a small step back and fidgeted with is bloodied claws.

"Is it… scared?" Lua whispered.

"I'm not sure. Let me just-" Rena lowered her weapon, took a step forward and began to reach out to the terrified creature.

"GRAAAAAAAGH!" This turned out to be a poor choice, as the crazed phoru leapt through the air, claws ready to swipe at the elf.

"Rena!" Lua released her arrow and it screamed past the stunned Rena, who hopped away from the attacker, and embedded itself in the animal's chest; a clean, lethal shot.

The phoru was already dead by the time it hit the ground where Rena had stood a moment earlier. An uneasy silence fell, but Rena released a breath she didn't know she was holding to break it.

"Th-Thank… you… Lua" she gasped, placing a hand over her thudding heart.

"Y-Yeah…" Lua answered, still in shock at what just occurred. "I've _never_ seen the animals act like this. Even the mothers don't get this aggressive when we're near their newborns."

"That couldn't even be considered aggression. That was more… _ssaugeona bihaenghada…_ " Rena still had her eyes locked on the dead animal.

"Fight or flight? You think so?" Lua carefully walked towards the corpse to check if it was truly dead.

"Did you see its eyes? I had never seen fear so powerful before…" Rena looked away as Lua yanked her arrow from the creature's chest.

"Yeah… I guess it was scared. But what could be out here that the animals would just attack anything that moves out of fear?" Lua stepped over the phoru and began examining the ruchi. She then noticed that the bird's blank eyes had the same look to them as the phoru: wide and terrified. It died scared.

And then they heard it - even felt it. A low, rumbling growl that carried a terrifying chill. The two elves snapped to attention and drew their arrows, backing into each other so they were back-to-back.

" _C_ _hugbogbad-eun josang_ _,_ what is that?" Lua whispered. That was nothing she had heard before.

"I don't know, but look at the children…" Rena answered and flicked her eyes to the spirits around them.

Lua had noticed that they were on edge this whole time, but now they were darting about erratically. And she knew this was not excitement.

It was a warning.

And then she saw something among the shadows of the trees: A trio of pale blue orbs staring at her. Her heart leapt into her throat.

"Rena…" She nudged her friend with her elbow. Rena spun around, weapon at the ready and nearly released out of shock.

"... Lua…" Her voice was shaking. The gaze from whatever it was projected a feeling of terror she had never experienced before, like fear itself manifested into a physical form.

The duo stared back at these eyes and slowly began to back away. And when they took their third step, the eyes suddenly surged forward and the sound of stomping feet reached their ears.

It was coming for them.

" _Geolughan ttong,_ run!" Lua shouted, releasing her arrow, spinning around and grabbing her friend's wrist.

"Ah!" Rena fired her projectile just as Lua's hand clamped around her wrist and used the tug to start sprinting. The two elves didn't even bother checking whether their attacks had any effect, they just ran.

And ran and ran and ran. Leaves slapped their faces, branches nicked their skin, but they didn't slow. They couldn't slow. If they did, this… thing would catch them.

The stomping sound resounded just behind them, their assailant keeping pace. The spirits flew ahead, weaving around trunks and risen roots, guiding the elves in their flight.

Then suddenly, the stomping stopped. But they kept running. It wasn't until they didn't hear it for another minute or so that they finally slowed to a brisk walk.

"Did… Did we lose it…" Rena panted, shooting wary glances at the surrounding brush. The spirits stopped zipping around, but they were clearly still anxious.

"I… I think so…" Lua was also looking and listening for any sign of their pursuer, but it seemed they gave it the slip for now. Taking in their surroundings, she noticed the spirits had led them to a cliff face. They were probably about a mile or two from the village. Once they had rested from their flight, they could follow the cliff face until they got back home.

"What was that thing?" She inquired, using their moment of rest to ponder their mysterious pursuer. "I didn't get a good look at it, but it felt… dangerous."

"I think…" Rena held a spirit to her chest. "I think _that_ is what these children are so scared of. Did you see how they reacted to its mere presence?"

Lua remembered. They went from jittery to hysterically buzzing around. If she and Rena hadn't been there, they looked like they would have fled. "That'd make sense, but… what was that creature?" She thought about its gaze. How it looked at them, like prey.

How it looked at _her_.

Why did it seem like its gaze was fixed on herself? Lua knew she wasn't carrying any food on her apart from a couple pieces of El fruit. Could it be that Rena's bond with the spirits shielded her from its sight? No, the spirits couldn't physically hide someone, and there was little physical difference between Lua and her friend; well, except Rena was also gifted with Gaia's bosom, but that was beside the point.

What did it want? What did it want from _her?_

A flash of motion caught her and Rena's attention. Looking above, Lua saw the spirits were zipping around erratically again. She nudged Rena, who was catching her breath. "Rena…"

Rena's head snapped up to see the terrified sprites. "Wait… We didn't lose it?"

As if to answer her question, the growl from earlier rumbled through the clearing. The elves spun towards the sound, bows drawn, and like last time they saw the three ghostly blue eyes.

Unlike last time they had nowhere to run. Behind them was a sheer cliff that ran nearly fifty meters up. They had to stand their ground this time.

Then the eyes drew closer, and the elves heard the sound of heavy steps. From the shadows, a large, menacing claw covered in dim, alien symbols reached out and found purchase on nearby log. The rest of the creature slowly crept out into the light of Ebalon, and the two elves froze.

The monster stood at nearly two meters in height and its canine head sat atop a body of thin, ash-grey fur that seemed to shift like smoke. A forked tail whipped around behind it, and a pair of horns protruded from the top of its head. Around its neck was a collar of thickened fur and a pair of short, white, antennae-like protrusions poked out from behind its head. But most terrifying was the fang-lined mouth and the third eye in the middle of its head.

This creature was not one from the forest, maybe even Elrios itself.

Neither Lua or Rena dared speak and the spirits darted behind them. The monster came closer, sniffing the air loudly and let out a rumbling breath. The air seemed to become heavy and goosebumps sprouted on the elves' arms.

Lua was the first to break the silence. "Rena… run. Get to the village and gather the rangers. I'll stay and hold it off."

Rena looked to her friend in shock. Lua wanted to remain behind and fight this thing? By herself?

They didn't even know what this creature was; let alone where it came from. To take on such an unknown force alone was considered suicide. They had to at least figure out what this creature was and what it was doing here.

And then she heard a sound, but not from the trees or the monster. It was coming from behind her. She stole a glance to her left and saw a spirit trying to say something.

" _Ijanoett... alam_ … _nahiwhc…"_

It was rare for the spirits to speak, even to her. Most of the time, they played along with her requests without a word or a small jingle that was their laughter. The mere fact that this one spoke to her gave weight to those three words.

 _Don't… leave… taken…_

The last word made Rena gasp. To be taken was a myth. To be taken was a fate reserved for those who were lost to the carnal emotions the elves shunned.

And the supposed perpetrator of these takings was…

"Lua… No…" She couldn't leave Lua here on her own. "That is… a _suchwiin_ …"

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 **So if you just read this without reading Alstroemeria and/or A Bright Bond, you're gonna have questions, particularly on what a _suchwiin_ is. This will be answered in a future update, but understand that a _suchwiin_ is something to be feared if you're an elf in my version of Elrios. Below are the translations for the elven - which is actually Korean according to Google Translate - words used throughout this chapter.**

 ** _eolin-i -_ child (This is an affectionate term the elves use for the spirits, alternating between this and the common tongue children)**

 ** _suchwiin -_ Taker/Takers (This will be explained later, but know they are an object of fear for the elves)**

 ** _eolin geosdeul -_ young ones (Refers to elven children)**

 ** _ssaugeona bihaenghada -_ fight or flight (Exactly what it sounds like)**

 ** _C_ _hugbogbad-eun josang -_ (Blessed Ancestors. A common prayer for the elves)**

 ** _Geolughan ttong -_ Holy shit (Yes, it's a curse)**

 **You may have also noticed that the spirits spoke, but not in any language you've heard of before. It's actually pretty simple: they speak Korean backwards. I never really planned on the spirits speaking much, but their native tongue is basically backwards Korean. The translation for those words are written in a following line already, so I'm not going to translate that for you.**

 **Stay tuned for the next update! I'm shooting to finish this story in two updates, but it may take three. We'll see. Please Read and Review!**

 **Until next time!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Aaaaaaand we're back! Here is part 2 of Nightfall. I have also updated the cover image of this story, provided by maleficparadokkusu! Check out their Instagram for more of their work! I will be posting a phorum topic detailing the _suchwiin_ on the official Elsword phorums once this story is done! Enjoy!**

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"Lua… No…" Rena couldn't leave Lua here on her own. "That is… a _suchwiin_ …"

Lua looked at Rena, half terrified and half jaded. "Rena, this really isn't the time for jokes."

"It told me! This _eolin-i_ told me." Lua's annoyance vanished like a puff of smoke. "If I leave you… you won't be here when I get back."

Lua swallowed a lump in her throat. And turned her focus back on the creature. _That_ was a _suchwiin?_ They were supposed to be the boogie men that scared children into behaving. If it was indeed the myth come to life, she knew why it was here.

It was here for her.

"Do you have a plan?" Rena asked, taking a slight step back from the slowly advancing monster.

Lua mimicked her motion. "We don't even know what it can do. Let's just keep our distance and-"

She was interrupted by a brief flash from the monster's third eye. The two elves started to hop back and turned their attention to the eye…

And quickly regretted their mistake when their world plunged into darkness…

Rena felt like she was falling through darkness. All she could see was black and she couldn't hear - or even _feel_ \- her heart beat. She couldn't feel anything; Just a sensation of falling, and falling, and falling.

But she could still see the creature in her mind. How the fur hung from its chin, how the air around it seemed to bend away from its mere presence…

How it looked at them, like prey to be hunted.

It was still there, she knew it was. And here she was, helpless to defend against it. She may already be dead and doesn't even realize it yet. She might be taken now!

Lua could be taken now!

She couldn't let that happen. She couldn't!

 _Someone… someone please help!_ She could only pray that aid would come on a night that none ventured out. That by some stroke of luck someone would come and help them.

 _Please!_

A flash answered her plea and summoned forth the image of the night sky, surrounded by tiny spirits, and a painful pop returned her hearing. She could feel the cool grass beneath her and her lungs violently expanded to take in much needed air.

Rena rolled over and let out ragged coughs as she choked on her own spit. She must have fallen on her back when she lost her senses.

Were the _suchwiin_ capable of such feats? Were they capable of robbing their victims of their very senses? The spirits worriedly gathered around her releasing a dim healing light to return her strength. Rena waved them off. "Lua… find Lu-"

The sound of heavy footsteps interrupted her. She turned her head and grabbed her bow. She saw the creature leaving the clearing, but it was not empty-handed.

In its right claw was an unconscious elf; The only other elf that was here.

"Lua!" Rena shouted and prepared an arrow. The monster spun around, a look of what could pass as surprise on its face. She must have been unconscious for only moments before the spirits freed her from whatever magic the fiend used.

Terror gripped her, but a desperate cry to action forced her to stand her ground. If she didn't stop this monster, Lua would be gone! She couldn't let that happen!

"Let her go!" She fired the arrow and the projectile sunk into the _suchwiin's_ left shoulder. The creature flinched and looked at the wound for a moment, as though stunned it was injured.

Then came the roar. It turned back to the elf, anger burning in its eyes. It tossed the unconscious Lua to the side before leaping at Rena, its left claw drawn back to eviscerate the elf. Rena sprinted forward and slid under the blow, calling on the spirits' power and the wind itself. "Perfect Storm!" She unleashed a small windstorm that pushed the creature away from her just as it spun around to take another swipe at her.

Seizing the opportunity, Rena ran to Lua's side and shook her. "Lua! Lua, please wake up!" But Lua didn't even flinch. The only movement she made was an erratic up and down motion from her chest.

Unfortunately, the _suchwiin_ did not give Rena a moment more, as it bounded towards her, its third eye glowing sinisterly. Remembering what happened the last time she gazed upon it, Rena shut her eyes and called again to the spirits to guide her.

She felt their pull, heard their frightened words, and she moved. She felt the monster's attacks cut through the air where she stood moments before. And then she moved again, and once more the deadly claws cut air. She continued this blind dance, her mind spinning with plans.

 _I have to get Lua! But I can't help her as long as the suchwiin is attacking me. And if I look at it, it will put me in that hypnotic state again. It may not have killed me last time, but surely it won't waste the chance if it gets me again…_

Rena had to figure something out fast. She couldn't rely on her sight to fight this creature. Fortunately, the spirits were aiding her in her evasions, but she couldn't accurately attack back. But she wanted to break the spell on Lua. And then she remembered: the spirits were what broke the spell on her, so…

"Please… help Lua," she begged them. She heard their terrified protests. If they left her to help Lua, she wouldn't have their guidance and would have to open her eyes to fight the suchwiin. But if she looked at the monster, it would hypnotize her and then kill her when she was defenseless.

But Rena had a plan, so again she begged, "Please, _jag-eun geosdeul…_ " She sensed their hesitation, so she pleaded again. "Please… please…" Again and again she begged as she ducked and weaved around the monster's blows.

And then…

 _Nahmokkmokk…_

 _Careful…_ They said. She offered a silent thank you and prepared for that empty feeling when they would leave her.

Just as she rolled under another swipe, it came. She could no longer hear their voices. They were gone. She snapped open her eyes to see the _suchwiin's_ back to her.

She had the moment she needed. She leaped back and prepared an arrow. As the creature spun around to face her, she began channeling mana into the projectile. While the spirits allowed her to use powerful, wind-based spells, she was still capable of using mana to generate her own small windstorms.

The suchwiin barreled towards her, but she didn't move. Her attention was focused on the third eye in its head. She waited, and waited, and waited…

And then the eye shimmered. The monster was preparing its hypnosis. It was now that Rena loosed her empowered arrow, and it screamed through the air, the winds inside screeching through the shaft as it flew. The arrow struck the beast just above its eye, but it didn't falter in its charge and the eye continued to glow brighter.

But Rena smirked. She didn't need to hit the eye directly, only shoot as close to it as possible.

The arrow then exploded. It wasn't a large, spectacular detonation, but it was big to engulf the _suchwiin's_ eye and throw shards of her projectile into it.

The monster roared painfully and stumbled over its feet, its momentum carrying it towards the elf. Rena now leaped out of the way and ran towards her friend, knowing that the monster wouldn't be down for long.

Fortunately, in the time it took for her to disable the creature the spirits had freed Lua from the _suchwiin's_ spell. Lua gasped awake the moment Rena got to her side. "Lua! Come on! We have to run!" Rena shook her friend to urge her to move.

"R-Rena? What happened?" Lua coughed. The last thing she remembered was seeing the _suchwiin_ before she fell under its spell.

Rena shook her again. "I'll explain later. We have to run!" Lua looked at her friend, noticing the sweat soaking her face and the desperation in her eyes.

And the menacing shape right behind her. "Rena!" Lua grabbed her friend and pulled her down on top of her just in time to spare her from being cleaved by the monster's claws.

But now they were prone on the ground, and Rena could feel the spirits' exhaustion. Between freeing both of them, aiding Rena and casting that spell from earlier they couldn't assist the elves further without risking their own lives. So Rena and Lua prepared themselves for the inevitable moment when they'd be impaled.

But it never came. Daring a glance, Rena saw the _suchwiin_ standing over them, its third eye shut tightly from her previous attack. It snarled and paced slowly around them as though waiting for something to happen. What it was Rena didn't know.

But Lua knew; it was here for her. It wanted to kill Rena for getting in its way, but it couldn't risk harming its target. So as long as Rena was on top of her, both were safe. Rena wouldn't be killed due to the risk of harming Lua, and Lua was safe from being taken because Rena wouldn't allow it to happen.

But it was still there, and there was no guarantee it would stand idly waiting for them to separate. She could already see it clawing gashes in the forest floor anxiously. It would attack again soon, regardless if they were together or not.

She had to do something, _anything_ to-

"Lua, I have a plan." Rena beat her to it. "We need to buy time for the spirits to recover. If I can conjure one or two more spells, we should be able t-"

"Rena! The children are exhausted!" Lua saw the spirits hanging in the air, their glow distinctly dimmer than usual. "You can't keep using them like this! They'll die!"

"I won't let it come to that. You know me, Lua." Rena shot back. Lua flinched slightly at the pointedness of her retort. "I just need a couple of spells. Only one or two and then I think it will be stunned enough for us to escape."

Lua stole a glance at the monster. It was now inching closer. They didn't have any more time. She had to send her away.

Now.

"Rena… leave me…" She knew Rena wouldn't stand for this, but she couldn't risk her friend or the spirits getting hurt trying to protect her.

Rena looked at her stunned. "Lua… No. No. No. No! I told you, if I leave you, you won't be here when I get back!"

Lua had to tell her. Tell her that the _suchwiin_ was here for her. "Rena, listen to me-"

" _Ani!_ " Rena interrupted. "You listen to me! We're going to make it out of here together and then go on our adventure, understand!?" Rena eyes betrayed her desperation. Lua hated that she brought up their promise now of all times. It was the most convenient and effective way to shut her up, and she was unable to form a retort.

So she gripped her friend's hands tightly and did the only thing she could manage: beg. "Please… Rena… please… I'm… I'm not…" How those dark thoughts churned in her mind now. The envy making way for the self-loathing, followed by hatred for the ancient customs which led to self-reprimanding, which fed back into the self-loathing; a terrible cycle of self-directed hatred. The _suchwiin_ sniffed the air hungrily, as though it could smell the elf's inner struggle.

Rena shook her head defiantly, oblivious to her friend's dilemma. "Don't even think I'm leaving you, Lua. All I need is five minutes. Five minutes and I promise the children and I will get us all out of this!" With that, she pushed off Lua and broke away from her without sparing Lua a chance to argue.

The monster roared and leapt at the elf. "Five minutes, Lua!" Rena shouted as he dove under the _suchwiin's_ claw. "Buy me five minutes!"

Lua looked on at her friend desperately trying to fight off the monster. Rena gave Lua no choice. If she did nothing, Rena would be killed. If she helped, Rena and the spirits would be at risk from prolonging the fight.

Didn't Rena understand that she was trying to save her and the spirits!? Why must she be such a good friend; and to a wretched person like herself!? She was to be taken because she betrayed the values of elven kind! Why was Rena trying so hard for her sake!?

" _Jenjang!"_ Lua cried as she nocked and fired an arrow into the beast's back. This stopped the creature's next attack on Rena and it turned to face the new aggressor. It looked surprised, as if none of its victims had ever considered fighting it before.

"Where are you looking!?" Rena shot another arrow into its arm. "Over here!" Their arrows didn't seem to be doing much to the creature, but it was dividing its attention between the two of them.

The monster kept its focus on Rena in the ensuing fight, but the constant harassment from Lua would slow it down or distract it enough to allow the other elf a brief reprieve; and how hard Rena fought. She leaped over the monster's low sweeps and fired a couple arrows into its exposed back before pushing off a platform of wind conjured by the weakened spirits to avoid the reprisal. She rolled and flipped away from the beast's higher blows and fired more arrows at its face to force a halt to a follow up. The _suchwiin_ continued its assault despite the many arrows in its flesh, but it seemed to only annoy it, as the projectiles only drew tiny tendrils of black blood

Lua's anxiety grew and grew with each passing second. Even with the two of them coordinating, they were losing this confrontation. She could tell that the _suchwiin_ was getting more and more aggressive. It was quickly learning to ignore Lua's attacks and stay focused on Rena. It was incorporating feints into its attacks, forcing Rena to readjust her footing before striking while she was off balance. It would use its size and reach to attack from multiple angles in quick succession, barely allowing the elf room to evade. It even snapped at her face a couple times with its terrifying jaws when the opportunity allowed. It had only been a couple of minutes, and Rena was now on the defense. The beast spared her no moment to break away or fire arrows at it. Trying any of her martial arts would be suicidal against this creature.

 _Five minutes…_ Lua thought. Rena wasn't going to last another _one_. She had to do something.

 _Anything_.

Her choices became suddenly limited when the _suchwiin_ struck Rena with its tail after she overcommitted to a jump. Rena was thrown to the ground, clearly stunned from the impact. Rena conjured a desperate blast of wind with the spirit's aid to stop the monster's subsequent charge, but only forced it back a few steps. The spirits, now completely exhausted, fell to the ground around her, their light nearly gone.

The creature had won. Rena's desperate plan to save her had failed. And unless Lua did something, she would have to watch as this monster murdered her friend in front of her. All her training amounted to nothing here. All that time at the range, sprinting through the branches, sneaking up on the wildlife; nothing. The only thing she could do was scream.

"NO!" Lua sprinted between them and faced the _suchwiin_. This was all she could do. To save her friend, to save the spirits, she had to do this. The monster stopped its charge and let out a frustrated half-bark.

"Lua…? What are you-" Rena looked on in disbelief. The moment Lua came between them the _suchwiin_ stopped attacking. With the fight now suspended, her mind picked this moment to recall a particular detail from the fight: the _suchwiin_ had, for the most part, ignored Lua. It only tried to kill her, but it never turned its aggression towards Lua.

The logical part of her brain started to put two and two together. When she was freed from the _suchwiin's_ hypnosis she saw the beast trying to take Lua away. And when the two of them were on top of each other the monster would not attack them. Considering all this, could the reason they were attacked was because…?

She refused to believe it.

Lua now spoke to the monster, ignoring her friend behind her "I know why you've come. It's for me, isn't it?" The monster lowered its posture and stalked closer, growling as if in answer. Those words hung in Rena's ears long after they were carried away by the breeze.

Rena couldn't believe what she was hearing. There was no way Lua was the intended prey! She wasn't hateful, she wasn't envious, she wasn't angry!

She wasn't meant to be taken!

"Lua…" Rena reached for her friend's hand. If she could just grab it, they could run away together. She just had to grasp her hand!

But Lua silently pulled it away and began walking towards the monster.

Rena's desperation began to boil over. "Lua!" She pushed herself to her feet. "Get away from there! It's dangerous!" She had to get her back to her side. If she didn't…

She did not want to think about what would happen. "The spirits will protect us!" Lua stopped walking the moment she said this. Now she had to get Lua back to her! "So come over here!"

An uncomfortable silence broken only by the _suchwiin's_ rumbling breath followed. And then Lua turned slowly to face Rena.

With a sullen, desperate look in her eyes Lua said, "... What are you saying, Rena?" She shot glance at the ground around Rena's feet. "Those children can't help us."

Rena wouldn't take her eyes off Lua to see the spirits scattered around her. If she did, she was afraid when she looked back up Lua would be gone. "Look…" But Lua gestured for Rena to see what had become of the spirits. But still she refused. "They are all vanishing from lending you their power…" Finally, Rena turned her gaze downward. She saw the dim sprites lying weakly on the grass. She could see their light struggling to stay illuminated, but it was all they could manage.

They were dying. And it was her fault, because she had used their powers over and over again to try to protect her friend.

The sound of steps drew her attention up again. The _suchwiin_ was stalking closer to Lua and wrapping one of its claws around her waist. And she was just standing there!

Did Lua _want_ to be taken!? Rena forced her thoughts to stop there. She couldn't believe them. This had to be a mistake, an unfortunate turn of events.

Her knees buckled from the weight of exhaustion and bewilderment. The spirits around Rena reached out to her, but whether it was out of concern or desperation she couldn't tell. Their voices were so quiet.

She looked to her friend, then to the children. Then back again. And down again. She was on the verge of losing not just her friend, but also the spirits that she loved so.

However, her dilemma was of little consequence to the monster and Lua, as they turned and began to leave. Rena tried to voice a plea, but no words came.

 _Not like this…_ a voice whimpered in her head. She didn't want things to end like this. If ever they were part ways, she didn't want it to happen like this.

Without a word of farewell. Or an embrace.

Just…

Gone…

Gone…

Gone…

"NO!"

* * *

 **If you have watched/read Rena's official webtoon, the last bit at the end of this chapter should be quite familiar. Basically what I aim to do with this story is provide the** _whole_ **story (unofficial story, of course) of that fateful event. Now again, these events take place in** **MY version of Elrios, not the official canon. My telling is based on the canon, but I intend to take it down a much different path than it has been taken officially.**

 **Now for the translations!**

 ** _suchwiin_ \- Taker/Takers (You know this from the previous chapter)**

 ** _eolin-i_ \- Child/Little one (Also from the previous chapter)**

 ** _jag-eun geosdeul_ \- Little ones (I think this a plural form of the above? An affectionate term for many spirits, as opposed to just one)**

 ** _Ani_ \- No (How else do I describe it? Rena got desperate enough to use a native no than the common no)**

 _ **Jenjang -**_ **Damn it (Another elven curse)**

 **We also do have another spirit word, but that is already translated in the story. Now, if you still want to know more about the _suchwiin_ , you are going to have to wait until the next, and final, update of this story. I promise it will all be explained soon. In the meantime, please Read and Review.**

 **Until next time!**


	3. Chapter 3

**All done! I almost turned this story into a four-shot, but I didn't want to give myself an excuse to put off finishing it. I recommend pulling up Iron-Blooded Orphans OST At the End of Sorrow on YouTube at the section with the *. My goal is to make you shed at least a tear. Enjoy!**

* * *

"NO!" Rena sprang to her feet, her eyes flaring with desperation. If she couldn't rely on the spirits, she had to rely on her own. She called on the winds of Elrios to form a bolt of howling air on her bow. Pain coursed through her body as she poured her own mana into the attack, but she gritted her teeth and willed herself to ignore it. The _suchwiin_ and Lua spun to face her, eyes wide with surprise.

And just as she was about to fire, she felt the pain dissipate. But the pain or lack of it didn't matter to Rena. Only her friend and the monster that threatened to take her away did.

"LET HER GO! RAIL STINGER!" She released the powerful bolt and it screamed through the air before impacting the stunned monster's face. A crack resounded in the clearing and the monster roared painfully. One of the beast's horns had been broken clean off its head, and blackened blood dripped from the wound.

But more importantly, it released a disoriented Lua from its grasp. Rena sprinted forward and grabbed Lua's wrist. And then without another word, she pulled her along in a run from the clearing.

Lua glanced back a moment, still in shock of what transpired. "Rena-"

"Just run, Lua! Please, don't speak. Just run. Please…" Rena didn't want to think about what nearly happened. She didn't want to think that her friend was willing to be taken. That train of thought would lead to someplace dark she did not want to imagine. She just wanted to run.

And run.

And run until all of it - the _suchwiin_ , Lua's capitulation of her fate, the dying spirits - was far behind them. She could feel the sinister questions rear their heads in her mind, so she kept running to shut them out.

She could still hear the _suchwiin_ roaring in agony, but it was not giving chase. Rena's desperate attack worked. But still she ran.

And ran they did until they arrived home. At the gates of the elven village, they stopped to catch their breath, and a pair of rangers heard them.

"Who goes there!?" One if them shouted. They approached with bows drawn.

Rena called out, "It's me, Radimir! And Lua is with me!" The two friends stepped from the shadows with their hands raised.

Radimir and the other elf lowered their weapons. "Rena? Lua? What are you two doing out? Do you understand tha-" He then noticed that the two were covered in dirt and sweat, and Rena had a couple faint bruises on her arms and face. "What happened?"

"We need to see Elder Branwen, Radimir. Now." Rena did not want to waste any time explaining what she and Lua had experienced. No one would believe them.

"Shouldn't you see a healer first, Rena? What happened?" Radimir began reaching out to her, but she took a step back and shook her head.

"Radimir, please. Now." Rena kept her plea short, an indication that the matter was urgent. Lua hadn't said a word and she refused to meet anyone's gaze with her own.

Radimir nodded after a brief moment of contemplation. "Very well. Shall I send Trion with you?"

Again, Rena shook her head. "We know the way Radimir. Just let her know we're coming. Now."

"As you wish. Come inside, quickly." He set his hand on the gates and muttered a spell under his breath. Lines of brilliant green snaked across the surface of the door and it swung ajar. Radimir pointed to a white spire illuminated by floating, green spirits beyond the elven homes. "Elder Branwen should still be praying at the temple. I'll send word you're on your way." He beckoned to a nearby sparrow, which flitted down from its perch onto his finger. He whispered a brief command to it before it took off towards the temple.

Rena grabbed Lua's wrist again and pulled her along. She hadn't said a word since Rena saved her from the _suchwiin_ , and she wasn't resisting. As much as Rena wanted to sit Lua down and ask why she did what she did, she was afraid.

No. She was terrified of what Lua's answer would be. She had to consult Branwen. She would know what to do. She _had_ to know.

As Rena and Lua winded through the streets of their slumbering village, Rena realized that the temple was a lot farther from the gates than she remembered. Perhaps it was the anxiety stretching her sense of time, or perhaps she never noticed it until now. It took much longer for the duo to finally arrive.

Passing a great ballista, a weapon meant to defend the tree in the event of an emergency, they finally arrived. The temple's pristine white surface was set aglow by numerous spirits floating around it. Just before they entered, Rena noticed several sprites sleeping in the bushes around the temple, wrapped in the leaves like tiny, green beds. She worried for those children she left behind in the clearing with the _suchwiin._ They were so weak when she fled with Lua. Fortunately, it seemed that the monster was not at all interested in the spirits, and was instead focused on Lua.

That last thought brought back the dark questions she suppressed earlier, so she forced their silence again. Stepping into the temple with Lua in tow, she immediately found the Elder waiting by a small El crystal. Radimir's sparrow was resting on a branch that snaked through the walls above.

"Rena, Lua. Radimir sent word that you had an urgent matter. What-" She noticed the bruises on her student. " _Chugbogbad-eun josang_ , Rena! What happened? You're injured!" She quickly shuffled over, a small entourage of spirits following her. "Don't tell me you…"

Rena nodded as the spirits flew around her, healing her injuries. "Lua and I… we ventured out into the forest…"

Branwen scowled, a rare expression for her. "Rena-ssi, you know we forbid leaving the village at night, especially at this time of year."

Rena flinched at this. "I know, Branwen-nim. But the children are always frightened around this time, and I wanted to help. I wanted to find what was scaring them. But…" Her next words got stuck in her throat. Just thinking about the encounter sent chills up her spine. She shook it off. "Branwen-nim, they're real…"

"Rena-ssi…? What is real?" Branwen's expression changed to worry.

Rena took a deep breath. "The _suchwiin_ , Branwen-nim. The _suchwiin_ are real…"

The elder's eyes widened and she was silent for a moment. "... Are you certain, Rena?" She was no longer using honorifics. Rena had her full attention.

Rena again nodded. "Yes. The children that were with me told me so…"

Again, brief silence. "The _suchwiin_ are, for better or worse, a story we created. We knew that some of us go missing every now and then, but to think… That they truly exist…" Branwen never imagined that a myth they had spun for centuries was actually a reality. The _suchwiin_ were meant to be a cautionary tale for elven children, one that suggested that monsters would come and take them away should they become envious, hateful or angry. It was a convenient explanation to the disappearance of such elves.

Those who actively rejected the virtues of their people would often go missing eventually. At first, fear drove the elves to shun such dark emotions, but soon the fear fell to habit and they naturally embraced their nature. Disappearances became less and less common, but still happened from time to time. They didn't think too hard on these events, figuring that perhaps the individuals who vanished merely left for the outside world and were living happily there. The _suchwiin_ became dark joke from the past.

And now, they were real, very real if Rena was to be believed. And Branwen had much faith in the young elf.

She asked Rena to explain what happened, and Rena described the encounter in terrifying detail. Everything from how monster's appearance to its abilities, Rena left nothing out. But while she glossed over the beast's interest in Lua, Branwen realized something. Lua hadn't said a word - or even make eye contact with her - since she had arrived with Rena.

If the story of the _suchwiin_ still held as true in reality as they did in fiction then the reason the monster attacked was because it wanted something; and the only thing, according the myth, that the _suchwiin_ hunted for were elves harboring powerful negative emotions such as envy, hatred and fury. Lua turned her head away, as though sensing the elder's thoughts.

Branwen continued to listen to Rena's tale, choosing not to ask about the spirits that were left behind as Rena escaped from the _suchwiin_ with Lua. And, as before, Lua made no move to interact with either of them.

Branwen needed to confirm her suspicions, so once Rena finished her tale, the elder turned to Lua. "Lua-ssi?" she asked gently, being sure to add that affectionate honorific. Lua flinched at her name and met the elders gaze out the corner of her own. "Are you hurt?"

Lua shook her head, but still didn't speak. Branwen sighed and looked to Rena. "Rena-ssi, we'll all convene in the morning with the other rangers to discuss our plans moving forward. For now, don't share what you experienced with anyone until we figure something out." Rena nodded her head. Branwen nodded back. "Why don't you get some rest, Rena-ssi? You may use the beds here in the temple. I would like to just check over Lua-ssi for injuries. She seems terribly shaken."

Rena opened her mouth to protest. "The spirits have nearly healed your injuries, Rena-ssi. Get some rest. I'll take care of Lua-ssi." Branwen interjected. Rena looked at her friend, then back to Branwen. She did this a couple more times before nodding her head and, at last, releasing Lua's hand.

"I'll see you in the morning, then. Lua…" She pulled her friend into an embrace, causing Lua to suck in a surprised breath. " _Jal ja_ …"

She then bid the elder a good night and finally retreated into a nearby room. Once the door shut, Branwen turned to Lua with a soft smile on her face. "Lua-ssi, I know I asked earlier, but are you alright?"

Lua still didn't speak, only nodding her head. Branwen gently touched her arm. "I'm going to look over you for injuries, is that okay?" Again, a silent nod.

Branwen inspected the young elf's arms and legs for any wounds. There were a couple scraps and scratches, but nothing the spirits couldn't easily fix. The little sprites had already set to work on healing those injuries. She pressed Lua's abdomen and chest with her fingers and noticed the young elf occasionally grimaced. There were some bruises there, but again they were easily treated by the spirits.

"... Branwen-nim…?" The elder nearly missed her name being called, it was said so quietly. She shifted her gaze to Lua's face. "... Am I… worth it?"

The first words she spoke since coming to the temple seemed to carry a terrible weight, despite the softness that they were delivered with. "Worth what, Lua-ssi?" she asked gently.

"... Next to the spirits… Am I worth it…?" Again, a weight uncharacteristic of her voice's softness.

Branwen chose her next words carefully. "Lua-ssi, the value of a life cannot be measured. Each and every living thing; spirit, elven, human, even demon, hold value to someone. The spirits, despite their favor being granted to few, love everyone in equal measure. Are you worth it? I certainly believe so."

Lua did not speak and her gaze flitted to the floor again. Branwen saw her bite her lip briefly before looking back to the elder and nodding, a sign that her injuries were no longer an issue. Branwen stroked her sandy hair gently. "Get some rest Lua-ssi. You've been through much tonight."

Another nod, and then the young elf walked to the last open bedroom and silently closed the door behind her. The elder released a small sigh as she turned to the spirits around her. They looked at her anxiously and shook their heads.

Branwen had requested them to inspect Lua's emotions as they healed her. While underhanded, she didn't want to put the distraught elf under further stress. However, the spirits didn't seem to find any of the negative feelings that would have attracted the suchwiin radiating from her.

Could it be that Rena and Lua's encounter was one of terrible chance? Branwen hadn't studied the signs of the negative emotions the elves shunned for centuries, not since the tall tale of the suchwiin became a joke. Despite all her experience, all the long centuries and the memories that came with them, she felt - perhaps for the first time in a millennium - helpless.

She could feel something was wrong, so terribly wrong with Lua. But she didn't know what it could be. Lua was among the hardest working rangers in their corps. She pushed herself beyond what everyone would think is her limit, and would only try again and again when she came up short.

And all the while the elf would smile. A satisfied, happy smile that showed she was proud of what she had accomplished. And Rena would always be there to celebrate with her, even when no one else did.

And yet that elf - that happy, driven elf - seemed like a shadow now. This Lua, it wasn't the Lua Branwen knew. This Lua was miserable, she could tell. The smile she knew was gone, the brightness in her eyes was dim, and the few words she spoke carried something Branwen hadn't heard in centuries: pain.

But all of this shouldn't come from the Lua she knew. Could this perhaps be…

The true Lua? A Lua that existed behind that bright ranger?

 _It couldn't be…_ Branwen thought to herself. Lua never showed any signs of negativity, ever. The elder was actually quite impressed with the young elf in how she composed herself next to Rena. Rena was highly regarded by her people and yet Lua, who was always by her side, was more or less ignored. Branwen had worried that such treatment would foster animosity if not towards the other elves than to Rena. But Lua persevered, even seemed to take that as a challenge to excel.

So how could she be reason that the _suchwiin_ appeared before them? It was, according to Rena, trying to make off with Lua during their encounter. But Lua's attitude prior to tonight and the legend just did not align. Lua had never exhibited the signs of one to be targeted by the monsters.

Branwen shook her head. She had much to do before morning, and fretting over Lua would have to wait. For now, she had to formulate a plan of action against a legend come to life. She left the temple quietly in deep contemplation.

And because of her inward focus, she failed to notice a shadowy figure leaving the temple behind her…

* * *

Rena couldn't sleep. Even though her body relished at the opportunity to finally rest on the comfortable bed provided to her, her mind spun vigorously with questions; some unpleasant and dark.

 _Why would Lua surrender herself to that creature? Why did it even try to take her? Was she-?_ Rena shook her head rapidly to cut off that train of thought.

It had to be a coincidence. It had to be because the _suchwiin_ took anyone they came across. _But then why did it try to kill me?_ The monster became highly aggressive when she stopped it from fleeing with her friend. There was a very strong possibility that her interference angered it.

But why?

Why?

Why?

Why?

Every time she asked this question, she could feel an answer gnaw at her subconscious; an answer that she dreaded.

Branwen told her to wait until morning. Perhaps then she could get some answers, some solutions. But this revelation that she actively fought back wasn't going to wait. She could feel it, rattling in its mental cage.

She needed to know the truth: That this encounter with a terrible legend was happenstance. She needed to talk to Lua.

So she forced her tired body off the bed and slipped on her boots. She pushed the door to the atrium open and walked to the room Lua was staying in. Branwen had left for the night it seemed, and the spirits had either left with her or were asleep outside.

As Rena lifted her hand to knock on the closed door, she felt that dreadful answer begin to whisper again, but she forced its silence again. _Once I speak with Lua, I will know that this was all a terrible coincidence. I know it was!_

She knocked. "Lua? Are you awake?"

No answer. Not surprising considering the ordeal they just endured. So she knocked again. "Lua? It's me. Can we talk?"

Again no answer. Rena didn't even hear any movement within. Was Lua asleep? That should be expected, but Rena needed to speak with her friend. She had to. "I'm coming in, okay?" She eased the door open and began to step into the room.

And realized it was empty. The immaculate nightstand and white bed were the only pieces of furniture in the room, so Lua couldn't really hide anywhere. The bed was also low enough to the floor that she couldn't squeeze herself under it, and the tiny window that allowed Ebalon's light in was far too small for anyone but spirits to get through. The only evidence that it was occupied were the slightly ruffled sheets of someone sitting on the edge of the bed.

Anxiety washed over Rena. "Lua…?" The whisper grew louder. She again silenced it. "Lua…?" No answer. No sound.

She was gone.

Just like that.

Gone.

Gone.

Gone.

 _No! She can't be gone! She must have left only recently. If I hurry I can catch up to her!_ Rena wasted no time. She spun on her heel and sprinted out the door, through the atrium and out of the temple. "Lua!" she cried as she ran out into the sleeping village. A couple lights in the surrounding homes turned on and a few sleeping spirits woke groggily. But she found no sign of her friend.

"Lua!" she yelled again. She could now vaguely hear tired voices inside the forest homes, but none were her friend. _Maybe she went home! No, she must've gone home!_ So she ran through the village a short while until she arrived at Lua's house. The lights were out inside and she saw a trio of spirits floating outside it. They would have seen her friend if she came here.

She ran up to them. " _Jag-eun geosdeul,_ gave you seen Lua?" she panted. The spirits looked at her worriedly, then to one another, then back to her. And to her horror they shook their heads. Lua wasn't here.

 _No… No. Nononono! If she isn't home or at the temple where could she have gone!?_ The whisper at last broke free.

 _The suchwiin was after Lua. Lua was the intended prey. Lua had fallen._ Her breath quickened and a cold sweat broke out on her arms. _It can't be… No! Lua can't be the reason the suchwiin is here!_ She silently argued.

 _Then why would suchwiin attack me and not her? Why did it try to kidnap her? Why did she offer herself to it?_ The spirits could sense the hysteria in her building and tried to comfort her, but she turned and ran from her friend's home before they could reach her.

She knew where Lua had gone. And she could only hope to get there in time…

* * *

It was difficult enough to avoid Branwen's notice as she left the temple, but it was even more so to sneak past Trion and Radimir at the gate. But she was the best ranger in the village, and she used every bit of that experience to pass them undetected. Now she was walking through the forest, bow slung across her back, quiver empty and a small knife sheathed on her waist. She made her way back to the clearing in silence, but she didn't enter it.

The _suchwiin_ was gone, and she saw a small gathering of spirits there. She ignored them and found what she was seeking: the monster's blood. The black, viscous fluid seemed to writhe with a life of its own, as though the air of Elrios burned it. The creature had fled the clearing after its skirmish with herself and Rena, but the trail of blood persisted.

She followed it deeper into the forest. As she walked, she reflected on the disgust she felt. Not towards Rena for trying to save her. Not towards Branwen for giving her the answer she knew she would give to her conundrum.

It was towards herself for bringing this all upon her friend and herself. According to old myths, if there was any sign that an elf had fallen, it would be the appearance of the _suchwiin_ before them. The creatures were supposedly capable of sensing the depraved emotions the elves shunned.

She thought that, perhaps, it was all in her head; that this hatred and envy were merely figments of her imagination. A small part of her denied that she felt this way, and it was because of this denial that those dark feelings festered.

And led the legend of a dark past to her. She carried the 'scent' the _suchwiin_ craved, the 'scent' of a loathing none but herself could see. And it put her friend and the spirits her people cherished in danger.

She could hear it now. A low, animalistic panting could be heard from the shadows ahead of her. She paused for a moment. For what she did not know, but perhaps she was subconsciously waiting for something.

Or someone.

She shook it off. This all ended here. It had to end here; for herself, for the spirits, for Rena. This had to end.

She stepped past a trio of trees and found the beast plucking arrows from its back. It turned its gaze towards her and went silent. Was it surprised to see her? It didn't matter.

She took a deep breath and stepped towards the monster, praying that she was ready for whatever fate that awaited her…

* * *

Rena bolted past a couple sleepy elves she had woken earlier and made for the gate. The ranger pair of Trion and Radimir were still there and heard her quick steps. "Rena? I thought you went to go se- Hey! Rena!" The duo didn't even have time to react before she sprinted past them and into the forest. She heard their worried shouts behind her but she couldn't waste another moment.

She had to find Lua before it was too late. Lua had already tried surrendering herself to the _suchwiin_ before, and if she was not in the village there was only one place she would go. She retraced their flight from the _suchwiin_ and looked this way and that for any sign of her friend, but found nothing but leaves and branches.

 _Lua, don't do this! Please, don't do this!_ She ran and ran, oblivious to the nicks she received from the branches. At last she reached the clearing. Taking a moment to catch her breath, she surveyed the area. The monster was gone and the horn she broke off its head was lying on the grass, forgotten or abandoned. But Lua wasn't here. Had she gone further into the forest after the _suchwiin_? Was she hiding in the area?

Then she saw a small flock of spirits gathering in a corner of the clearing. Letting out a breath of relief, she knew they would have seen where her friend had gone or at least the _suchwiin_ and guide her there. So she jogged over them, the grass crunching beneath her feet.

The sound attracted the attention of the sprites and they turned towards her. " _Jag-eun geosdeul,_ have you see-" Rena started but cut her greeting short when the spirits reacted to her presence. Normally, the children would jingle in excitement to see her or at least smile. But what stunned Rena now was how they fled from her. They darted away, their expressions terrified.

"Ah, _Jag-eun geosdeul,_ what is wrong? Is that monster still here?" She didn't feel that overwhelming presence the _suchwiin_ exuded, but it was possible it was hiding nearby. But to her surprise, the spirits shook their heads. She tiptoed forward, slowly reaching out to them. "It's okay. No need to be afraid…"

One of the sprites floated towards her hesitantly, but then broke away to join the others after sending a quick glance at the ground in front of her. Rena was dumbfounded. Even scared, the children would gather around her because they felt safe with her. They never ran away from her.

For a moment, she forgot about her missing friend. She then noticed that the spirits were shooting glances at her and at the ground. She turned her gaze down.

And a gasp flew from her chest. There, lying lifeless on the grass, were spirits. Their light had extinguished, exposing their frail forms like barren twigs. Were these the children that were with her during the fight with the _suchwiin_? Did that monster… kill them?

Anger simmered in her chest and she looked to the spirits. " _Jag-eun geosdeul,_ where is it? I swear it won't get away with this." She now had two reasons to find this monster. She would rescue her friend and avenge these innocent children.

But then a child spoke. _Ina… Niiwhcus…_ The heat in her chest cooled. It wasn't the _suchwiin._ Then what had killed these children? She looked again at them and noticed something peculiar about their prone forms. All of them had been reaching towards something before they died.

She looked to the bright ones floating above and opened her mouth to ask if they knew what befell their brethren. But she didn't need to ask, because they were already answering her. They were pointing.

 ***** At her. Rena's breath hitched, and struggled to form a protest. _M… Me…?_ I _killed these children? No! I couldn't! How could I have killed them!? I didn't even call on their power for that last attack! How could I-_ Then she remembered. She remembered her final, desperate attack on the _suchwiin_. How it felt.

She remembered the pain that coursed through her veins as she poured her own mana into the attack. And then how it dissipated just before she released it. She didn't think anything of it at the moment, but now she knew what that relief meant.

The spirits would often lend her their power when she didn't ask for it, a result of their mutual trust. The cause of death for these children was that trust. They had seen her in agony in that moment, and to ease her suffering they gave her the last remaining strength they had.

They died for her. They died because of her.

Her heart sunk and she fell to her knees. How could she do this to them? How could she do _this_ to them!? Tears blurred her vision, but she made no move to wipe them away. The spirits, now realizing that she held no malicious intent as they feared, glided to her and caressed her face gently. She didn't deserve their concern, but she couldn't muster the energy to send them away. Sobs bubbled from her chest and she leaned over the fallen children.

Her mind chose this moment to remember Lua. She forced a gasp, her head snapped up and she saw something peeking over the treeline. Tendrils of shadows slithered from the forest. She knew what it meant.

The beast had claimed its prize. She was too late.

"..." She tried to say something. Anything. An apology. A plea. To Lua, to the spirits. But it was lost in her throat as a new wave of sons overcame her her.

 _I… I…_ In her desperation to save one, she lost both. One destroyed by her hand, the other lost. She had failed, completely.

 _I'm… a monster…_

At last she made a sound: A pathetic wail that rang through the night, carried by the cold wind.

* * *

It was morbidly fascinating to watch the creature open a portal to another world. It seemed that her suspicions of the creature's origins were correct. The _suchwiin_ were not native to Elrios, but rather another plane; a dark plane. _A fitting place for someone like me_ …

The beast stood by the portal and looked at her expectantly. It understood that she came willingly. She stepped forward. With each step she thought back to her moments with Rena. When they would laugh together under the trees. When they would chase one other through the branches. When Rena gave her the seeds. She felt around her pouch and found the seeds in question.

She stared at them in her hand longingly. The monster growled impatiently, but she ignored it. These seeds were a symbol of their everlasting friendship, right? That no matter how far they were, they'd find each other someday, that this bond would last forever.

She chuckled. What she was doing contradicted that message, but she couldn't bring herself to throw them away. She had to keep them, if not for Rena then for herself. A mark on the world for her to leave.

Lua put them back into her pouch, straightened her back and stared into the abyss before her. It was time to end this. To end the inevitable cycle of suffering and pain that would come if she stayed. She stepped once more, this time into the portal.

She felt the void engulf her, and the _suchwiin_ followed after her. And just as she about to take her next step into oblivion, she heard something: An agonized wail carried by the wind of the home she left behind. She spun around to the light and unconsciously reached for her friend she couldn't see.

And the portal hissed closed...

* * *

 **And this concludes Nightfall! If you know anything about me, you know I am a Rena fan. And this story was one I wanted to write for a long time. Rena always struck me as someone who was hiding something painful behind her smile and her webtoon confirmed this. I just wanted to expand on it in my own way. Remember that this is NOT canon, but it is very closely related to it.**

 **Now, let's talk about the _suchwiin_. As mentioned in the story, these monsters were a made-up boogieman for the elves in order to scare children into behaving and to... 'promote' positive emotions by discouraging negative ones. Eventually, the story became just that: a story. The tale of the _suchwiin_ faded into myth and legend. But, what the elves did not know was that these monsters they made up were actually real. _Suchwiin_ , in this Elrios, are demons called hell hounds. Hell hounds are powerful, but feral demons that reside in Varnimyer. They hunt for prey using their thrid eye to track prey by their emotions, most notably emotions like fear, anger, hatred and envy. In Varnimyer, demons with higher intelligence often try to capture and train hell hounds for various purposes. The master of the hell hounds that invade Elrios is a plot twist I will share in future stories. If you look at the story image, you will notice that the _suchwiin_ (hell hound) looks an awful lot like Berthe. This is intentional, as Berthe, in my Elrios, is a hell hound himself, but a very special one that will be covered in The King's Court.**

 **Now for the translations!**

 _ **Suchwiin -**_ **Taker/Takers (We've been talking about this since chapter 1)**

 ** _Chugbogbad-eun josang -_ Blessed ancestors (Elven version of Oh my god)**

 ** _Jal ja -_ Sleep well (What do you think this means?)**

 ** _Jag-eun geosdeul -_ Little ones/Children (See chapter two)**

 **And the last bit from the spirits was _Not... Taker..._ They were denying that the monster had killed the spirits.**

 **I hope this story lived up to your expectations! Please Read and Review and feel free to ask any questions you have through a PM.**

 **Until next time!**


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